Latch



J. L. SEAVER.

LATCH.

APPLSCATION FILED FEB. 1, 1921. L@ 391,33@ Patentedsept. 26, 1922.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I.

L@ @fg/@WMM WX il Pamtented Sept 2@ 1922L 2 SHEETS-SHEET J. L. SEAVER.

LATCH.

APPLICATION mw FEB.1.1921.'

Patented Sept. Z6, 192.

Application filed February To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, JAMES L. SEAVER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. lLouis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Latches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates generally to latches and more particularly to mortise door latches. The principal objects of my invention are to provide an improved door latch having all of its operating parts contained in a housing so that there are no outwardly projecting parts such as door knobs and to provide escutcheon plates for said latch having hand openings and suitable closure means therefor.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a latch which can be manually operated without the use of knobs or other outwardly projecting means and to provide means for normally shutting oil access to said latch, which means can be easily manipulated to provide access to said latch when it is desired to operate the same.

Still another object is generally to improve upon and simplify the construction of door latches which latches are of simple and durable construction and efiicient in op-l eration.

In the drawin s,

Figure 1 is a ragmental view of a door equipped with my improved latch.

Figure 2 is a horizontal cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmental view of the inner side of one of the escutcheon plates and shows means for closing the hand opening therein.

Figure 4 is a detail view of a plate forming'the side wall of the latch housing.

igure 5 is a perspective detail view of a frame carrying the latch bar.

Figure 6 is a vertical cross section through a door showing the latch in position therein l., 1921. Serial No. 441,547.

and one side wall of the latch housing being removed to better illustrate the invention.

Figure 7 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6. Referring by numerals to the accompanylng drawings, A represents a door equipped with In lmproved latch and provided on each s 1 e with escutcheon plates 10. rlhe operating mechanism is contained in a rectangular housing 11 having a side wall 12, horlzontally progecting top wall 13, 'bottom wall 14, and intermediate wall 15, and a rear end wall 16. The front portion of the housing 11 1s closed by a surface plate 17 having ears or lugs 18 which are fixed to housing 11 by rlvets 19. The surface plate 17 is counter-sunk in the edge of the door in the usual manner and is secured in position by means of wood screws 20. Top wall 13 and intermediate wall 15 are provided with dependlng lugs 13a and 15, respectively, which have threaded engagement with screws 21. A plate 22 is held in position on houslng l1 by screws 21 and forms the other side wall of said housing. inwardly presented horizontal fianges 23 are formed integral with plate 22 and their front ends are joined by a vertical flange 24 while their rear ends are open. A rectangular frame 25 is slidably mounted on said iianges, its upper transverse member resting on the upper horizontal Hange 23, and its lower transverse member resting on intermediate wall 15, the length of said transverse mem'bers being greater than the length of horizontal flanges 23 so that there is a clearance between frame 25 and flanges 23 which permits of horizontal movement of said frame.

To the front wall of frame 25 is secured a latch bar 26 which operates through a suitable opening in surface plate 17. Frame 25 and latch bar 26 are yieldingly held in projected position by a leaf spring 27, one end of which is anchored to housing 11 while its free end bears against frame 25. Side wall l2 of housin 11 is provided with an opening 12a and pil lar opening 22% ate 22 is provided with a slmi- (iti liti

' The escutcheon plates l0 are provided with openings 10ml-'which coincide with openings 12a and 220'. These openings provide access to trame in housing` ll so that a person can insert his hand through said openings into said housing and operate latch bar 26 by applying manual pressure on the rear wall ot iframe 25, overcoming the resistance ot spring 27, thereby moving said frame 25 rearwardly and withdrawing latch bar 26. The openings l0E in plates 10 are normally held closed by doors 28 hinged to the inner sides of the escutcheon plates 10 by means of rods 29.

A coiled spring on rod 29 yieldingly maintains each door in closed position.

`When the loch is in assembled position, plate 22 is secured to housing il by means of screws 21 and rectangularframe 25 occupies an outer position on frames 23 and 2a und is held against vertical movement by lug i3, intermediate wall l5, and flanges 23. The rear end of danges 23 terminating short of the rear wall ot frame 25, the latter is capable or horizontal movement a suihcient distance to move latch bar 26 forwardly under the induence of spring 27 into operative or projected position.

W hen pressure is manually applied to the rear wall of frame 25, the latter is moved rearwardly against the influence of spring 2?' and latch bar 26 is retracted within housing ll, as shown in lull lines in 1F igure 5. Vertical dange 2d against which frame 25 abuts when in a retracted position, limits the rearward movement of said frame. As soon as the manual pressure is removed from trame 25, spring 27 will move said trame and latch bar 26 into a projected position, as shown in full lines in Figure 2 and in dotted lines in Figure 5.

lln closing the door, the inclined lace on latch bar 26 causes har 26 and frame 25 to move inwardly until latch bar 26 enters the latch bar recess in the door jamb when spring 27 will move trame 25 and latch bar 2li into a projected position.

)Door A is mortised in the usual manner to receive the latch and the escutcheon plates are held in position on said door in any suitable manner and preferably by screws d8, the heads of which are seated in the inner plate andhave threaded ends which screw into sockets t9, non-rotatably seated in the outer plate.

A latch of my improved construction has no projecting parts such as knobs which might mar the walls or present unsightly appearance, and can be easily applied in position with ordinary tools and in the usual manner.

(Obviously various changes and arrangements oil parts in my improved latch can be made and substituted for those described and shown, without departing from the spirit oi the invention.

insonne l claim: l A

l. ln a door latch of the class described, a housing provided with oppositely, disposed hand openings, a rectangular trame slidably mounted in sald housing and adapted to be manuall operated through said hand openings an a latch bar fixed to said flange and designed when retracted to occupy a position wholly within said housing.

2. ln a latch of the class described, a housing provided withhand openings, a latch bar slidably mounted in said housin and adapted to be manually operate through said hand openings, .and means for closin said hand openings.

3., l. a latch olf the class described, a housing provided with hand openings, a latch bar slidably mounted in said housing and adapted to be manually operated through said hand openin s, and yielding closure means for said han openings.

l. ln a latch of the class described, a housing, a latch frame slidably mounted therein, a latch bar carried by said'latch frame, said latch frame and said latch bar being yieldingly held in projected position and adapted to be manually engaged and moved in. retracted sition, and yielding closure means norma' ly shutting of? access to said latch frame.

5. ln a latch of the class described, a

housing provided with hand openings, a

manually operable latch bar slidably mounted in said housing, escutcheon plates provided with hand openings which coincide with the openings in said housing, and closure means for the hand openings in said escutcheon plates.

o. ln a latch of the class described, a housin; provided with hand openings, a manually operable latch bar slidably mounted in said housing, escutcheon plates vprolill lll@

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vided with hand openings which coincide with the openings in said housing, and closure means hinged to the inner sides of said plates and adapted to close the openings in said escutcheon plates.

7. ln a latch of the class described, a housin provided with hand openings, a manna ly operable rectangular frame slidably mounted in said housing, a latch bar "lined to said frame, a spring engaging said iframe to yieldingly hold said latcli bar in projected position, eseutcheon plates havin@` hand openings, and closure members hinge to the inner sides of said plates and closing the o enings therein.

8. he combination with a door provided with a latch, of escutcheon plates having hand openings for manually operating said latch and means for closing the openings in said plates.

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9. The combination with a door provided with a latch, of escutcheon plates provided with hand'openings for manually operating said latch, and closure `members for said openings and hinged to the inner sides of said plates.

10. A door latch comprising a housing open at one side, a plate for closing the open side of said housing and provided With in- Wardly projecting flanges, "a rectangular Jframe slidably mounted on said flanges, and

a latch har fixed to said frame and adapted to project outwardly through said housing. 3l@ ln testimonywhereof I hereunto alix my signature this 29th day of January, 1,921.

JAMES L. SENER. 

